


Epilogue: Stay

by EightLeggedFox



Series: Remedy [3]
Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 21:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19237642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EightLeggedFox/pseuds/EightLeggedFox
Summary: For a little while, Jihoon had entertained the idea that New York would hold the key to his happiness.He should've learned by now that the universe really loves doing a number on him, especially when it comes to proving him wrong.





	Epilogue: Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Epilogue to [Scared To Be Lonely](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18769519).
> 
> Inspired by [Stay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twaB9Fo2U2E) by Hyolyn. Give it a listen if you haven't yet :)

Jihoon’s hand moves along the surface of the plush, leather covering of the car seat, his fingers rhythmically drumming and tapping along to the beat of an indie-rock song the driver is playing on the radio. The soft sounds of a guitar playing is so soothing that he thinks if he lets himself, he can actually sink a little further down his seat and doze off a bit. But as relaxed and serene his body feels in this moment, his eyes however are in a complete opposite state as it stares out the window.

There’s still a lot to take in, even after spending a good week in the city already. The sights he passes by still pull at something in his chest that leaves him out of breath and just hungry for more. The tall buildings, the busy sidewalks, the grandness that is literally on every intersection; New York City is everything Jihoon ever dreamed of and so much more.

“We’re here," the driver tells him after he pulls to a stop, flashing a smile over to Jihoon in the rearview mirror. "Most popular building in America."

"Thank you," Jihoon says, hoping his english doesn't sound too thickly accented. He'd been practicing. "Please keep the change."

He gives the driver a slight bow before he exits the cab, and he breathes in the cool, early winter air as he steps out to the sidewalk. He looks up, taking a moment and letting himself feel small over the grandeur that is the Empire State Building. He puts his hands in his pockets, feeling for his tickets inside before moving forward.

The elevator ride up to the observation deck is just as much thrilling as it can possibly get for him, feeling giddy and just a little bit embarrassed that he's smiling like a child in a lift full of strangers. He takes comfort in the fact that he looks more like a tourist than a local in this scene, so it isn't _too_ weird that he's behaving this way. He'd waited months for this moment, and an equally long week in the city to be able to do this so he allows himself to be a little shameless in his excitement.

The elevator pings, and with it comes the stomach-churning sensation brought by the elevators stopping on their floor. The doors open, and Jihoon swears it almost feels next to impossible to keep himself from running out like a child.

The excitement leaves his body so quick that he literally has to remind himself to breathe the very next second. It's like riding the drop on the high-speed roller coaster back home in Everland, the out of body experience you feel when your breath and soul leaves you for a few seconds to catch up with reality.

Suffice to say, Jihoon loves the view.

There are a few people up at the moment, but he manages to find a vacant spot near the railing to really see out for as close as he can. From the tops of buildings that stretch as far as his eyes can see, down to the signs of life in and around it; he takes it all in, breathing in the chilly air that feels a lot cleaner than it does from the streets. He was much too young to remember the sights and feelings from when his parents brought him here before, but none of that diminishes the warmth spreading through his bones now.

He lets himself admire the view with his own eyes for a good twenty minutes before pulling his phone out, smiling when he sees the five new message notifications on the screen before opening the camera app to take a few photos and selfies. He promised his friends he'd show them the view from up here.

It's only a little later after he's walked around the deck to see the different angles of view when he hears the tell-tale click of a film camera snapping to his right. Jihoon ignores it, knowing from his peripheral point of view that the camera is pointed at him. He waits for the person to move and turn his back on him before he sneaks in from behind and talks over his shoulder.

"You know it's rude to take photos of other people without their consent," Jihoon says, making the other person jump and even almost drop his camera in the process. Whether it's from the surprise of him talking or because he spoke in their own tongue in a land of English speakers, he's not too sure.

"Ah, s-sorry." The stranger scratches at his nape, a shy box-like smile forming on his mouth. It takes a bit of effort on Jihoon's part to hide his own surprise then, because _wow_ is this person good-looking.

"Sorry for taking my photo or sorry for being caught?" He says in full composure. He throws him a playful smirk, finding it funny how the other person immediately blushes.

"Maybe a little bit of both." He admits, biting his lower lip sheepishly. "I like taking pictures of beautiful things. I couldn't help myself."

"So you think I'm beautiful?" He raises an eyebrow, turning the other person's face redder.

"I—I didn't mean it like that, umm—"

"So now you're saying I'm ugly. Is that it?"

"No, no! You're _very_ beautiful! I just meant—!" He bites his lips again, hanging his head in embarrassment. "I should stop talking now."

"At least no one else here understands a word we're saying.” Jihoon says, chuckling before putting a hand out. “I'm Jihoon."

The guy looks taken aback for a second, but he composes himself and shakes his hand in a beat. “Jihoon. I’m Taehyung, nice to meet you. Should I ask for your age?”

Jihoon smiles politely, shaking his head. “I kinda wanna enjoy talking to someone casually while I’m in America. So I’ll keep that a secret for now.”

“Good point.” There’s that same boxy grin again, and it dazzles him more than he'd like to admit. It also just occurs to him that they are still shaking hands than what's an acceptable amount of time for a normal handshake.

“So have you seen the other side of the deck?” Jihoon jerks his thumb back, a convenient excuse to pull away and hide his fluster. “You can see a really good view of central park from there.”

“Hmm, I was just about to,”  Taehyung says, his fingers fiddling with the strap of his camera. “But I think it can get a little lonely here on this side if I do. You should come with me for some company. It’s the least I can do for snapping your photo without asking for your permission.”

“You’re not very smooth, are you?”

“Nope.”

They both laugh at that, but Jihoon still finds himself nodding at the innocent charm and following Taehyung along. He's right on point when he mentioned the part about being a little lonely, and there's just an undeniable comfort brought by meeting someone from your own country when you're overseas. They stand side by side on the railing, and Jihoon basks in the calmness of the moment with only the wind, the far-off sounds of the busy streets, and Taehyung's camera clicks resounding in his vicinity.

"You're right, this is a good view," he says, taking another photo on his camera. "How come you're enjoying this all by yourself?"

Jihoon faces him, raising an eyebrow. "I should ask you the same thing."

"Touché." Taehyung nods leaning one elbow against the railing when he speaks. "I actually came up here with my parents, but they got hungry so I told them I'll just meet them down later." He shrugs, his eyes cast on the city below them. "I dunno, it's just really peaceful here. I guess I wanted to get my entire ticket's worth."

"Yeah, I get that. We don't get this view very often back home. It's good to cherish it as much as we can."

"Right?" Taehyung chuckles, the sound so deep that Jihoon feels like it reverberates a bass in him somewhere. "And I don't think I made a mistake staying a bit longer since I made a new friend."

He smiles at him then, and Jihoon genuinely returns the gesture. He doesn't think he needs to mention right now that he's up here alone for more sentimental reasons, just like in most of the places around the city he's already been to this morning.

They stay in comfortable silence for a while, just admiring the view and feeling the breeze wisp past their face. When the idle chatter around them slightly turns up a notch indicating the growing crowd, they both face each other at the same time with the same knowing expression.

“I think we should let others get a chance to appreciate the view up close,” Taehyung says, stepping back from the railing.

“Yeah, agreed.” Jihoon nods, following his pace.

“So where are you heading to next? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Central Park,” he answers in a beat, titling his head to where they were just looking at seconds ago. “Getting a little hungry myself. I could use a pre-dinner snack.”

“Oh, do you want some hotdogs? I bought from this hotdog stand the other day and I swear I almost cried while eating it. I can take you there,” Taehyung says excitedly, his already round eyes growing wider by the second. “If you’d like to, that is. Umm—sorry, am I being too forward?”

Jihoon just purses his lips and holds back a laugh, shaking his head when he answers. “It’s okay Taehyung-ssi. I’d love for some tear-inducing hotdogs.”

It brings out his new friend’s boxy grin at that, his cheeks bunching up. “What happened to talking casually while in America?”

“Hey, I need to be polite if I’m going to get you to treat me to some food, right?” Jihoon winks at him, catching Taehyung’s small laugh before they head towards the lifts.

  
  


Taehyung was right. The hotdog he’s devouring now is, without a doubt, _the_ best thing he’s ever put in his mouth all day. He’s down to his last bite and he genuinely feels devastated that he’s about to finish the thing.

“You’re actually crying.” Taehyung grins from beside him, slightly laughing.

“No I’m not,” he says, wiping the corners of his eyes anyway.

“We can just buy another one if you want.”

“No-no-no. I already have dinner plans later.” Jihoon pouts, still staring at his final bite of hotdog. “I must control myself. Don’t spoil me Taehyung.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugs, finishing his own hotdog and gulping down on his soda. Jihoon sighs and follows him soon after, closing his eyes and relishing the final remains of this heaven-on-earth experience.

“So, umm...I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Taehyung starts once he sees Jihoon calming down and floating back to reality. “I know it’s only been a few hours and all, but I’m curious—and I’m not usually this brazen and forward but I just, umm…”

“Taehyung. Spit it out.” Jihoon chuckles, sipping from his cup. “I don’t bite...usually.”

That earns him another obvious flush on the other person’s face, and it takes him a few seconds to gather his wits and finally speak.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Jihoon can’t really say he wasn’t expecting it, but hearing it out loud now doesn’t make it any less surprising and a little funny for him. He holds back though, because he doesn’t want to be rude to someone as nice as Taehyung. It’s funny because, well isn’t this the original reason he wanted to come to New York in the first place? To start fresh, meet new people, keep his loneliness at bay? It may not be the case anymore but he’s still a little surprised with how quick these things can actually start for him. He’d only been here a week and a really cute guy is already asking if he's single..

He gives Taehyung a knowing smile, one that expresses that he’s not ignorant enough not to have seen this coming when he first offered to treat him to some food. He’s about to answer, but a ringing phone interrupts him mid-breath.

"Umm—sorry, it's my parents. Can you give me a sec?"

Jihoon nods, going back to his drink and checking his own phone as he tries to give Taehyung some privacy. He has four more messages in his inbox that makes him smile a little, but one look at the time and the few words he hears from his companion's conversation tells him that their little time together is about to come to an end.

“Man, this is embarrassing. Umm—sorry, Jihoon but I kinda have to go,” Taehyung says, very ruefully if he's reading him right. “My parents got lost trying to find a restaurant and they need my help.”

“Oh. Sure, no problem.” Jihoon gives him the same expression, getting up from his seat when Taehyung stands. “I hope they’re not in too much trouble.”

“Nah, they’re just a handful sometimes,” he says, although the worry in his face shows him otherwise. “Anyway, I had a really nice time with you. Maybe I can catch you up again sometime?”

“Of course. And thank you, for the hotdog.”

“Don’t mention it. I'll see you around then.” Taehyung waves at him, already starting to walk away and focus on his phone again before Jihoon can say goodbye back. He chuckles to himself, Taehyung’s so flustered he even forgot to get his number.

Well, Jihoon knows there’s more than a lot of ways to find him, all of which relatively easy and accessible if Taehyung’s still interested. But for now Jihoon just contents himself with the nice afternoon he had, going back to his own phone and opening his map before scrolling to where he’d dropped a pin near the heart of central park with a note saying ‘5pm’. He still has a good twenty minutes, so he takes his time walking and enjoying the views around him.

He's a few minutes early when he reaches the huge decorative fountain he’s supposed to be at, but even from his spot of a few feet away Jihoon can already see the vibrancy of the person he's meeting where he’s kneeling on the ground and petting someone else's dog. He laughs at the image, thinking back to around the same time last week when he'd chosen to dye his hair bright red.

"It's so I'm easy to find. We don't need a lot of english skills to say 'person with red hair' right?"

Jihoon had only rolled his eyes endearingly at the time, but he can't refute the fact that what he had said was true—even if it makes him stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd. He stays in his place for a little while more, watching the other man coo and shamelessly make faces at the Golden Retriever he's playing with. It sparks something in his chest, the kind of warmth that even after all this time still manages to make his stomach flip and his heart soar.

"I see I'm not the only one who made a new friend today," Jihoon says when he walks over, after the dog and its owner had said goodbye to continue their walk around the park. "I'm glad to see you aren't as sad and lonely as your text messages sounded."

He doesn’t startle at his voice, small cues that tell him that Daniel already knew he was watching him from afar when he turns around to meet him. He just pouts a bit, right before he wraps him in a long hug and kisses the top of his head. Ever so shameless. “His name was Rocky, and he’s a level ten on the goodest boy meter.”

“Don’t let Max hear you say that. Unless you want to give up that white Gucci shirt you both like so much.” Jihoon laughs, covering his mouth with his hand when he pulls back a little from the hug to look at his boyfriend.

“Hey, if I remember correctly, _someone_ seems to like that shirt an awful lot too. Especially when he’s being thrown over the bed and—”

Jihoon slaps him on the chest with the back of his hand, biting back his lower lip and the blush he can feel crawling up his neck. Daniel just laughs at him.

“I missed you,” he says, his arms still cradling Jihoon by the waist. “Did you manage to see all the places you wanted to visit?”

“Mhmm.” Jihoon nods, busying himself with fixing Daniel’s scarf in the position they’re in. “Thanks again for agreeing to let me go by myself today.”

He thinks back to a few weeks ago before their trip when he first told Daniel that he wanted to have a day to roam around New York alone and visit the places his parents brought him to when he was a kid. Daniel understood of course, but not without his worries.

“What if you get lost? Or get mugged?” He had asked then, half-kidding and half-serious. “What if someone gropes you while you’re commuting?”

It had taken a whole week of him trying to convince Daniel that he’s a grown man and that he’d be fine and that he didn’t have to worry so much. He conceded in the end, although not without a lot of butt-kissing on his part. Figuratively and _literally._

“So how’d it go?” Daniel asks him now, obviously excited for Jihoon to tell him about his day. “Was it everything you ever imagined?”

“I honestly don’t remember much of how the places used to look like when I was with my parents back then.” Jihoon shrugs, so nonchalant as if he didn’t just squeal like a child earlier in falling in love with this city when he saw some of the sights today. Although the look Daniel is giving him tells him he already knows that without him saying it. “It was really nice though. I took a lot of photos too, I can show you later.”

Daniel just smiles at him, leaning in again to place a long, soft kiss on his forehead as if they’re the only two people in the park right now. That’s another thing Jihoon loves about New York, he notes; Daniel can kiss him however much he likes and the most they get from the people around them is just a double-take or even a sweet smile.

“Do you wanna go for a walk first before we head to the restaurant? We still have an hour before our reservation,” Daniel says, to which Jihoon agrees with as he unhooks himself from his arms and goes to hold his hand instead.

They walk around the park aimlessly, with Daniel pointing at all the places he passed by earlier in the day where he met the few dogs he played with while waiting for him. Jihoon still laughs at the idea of him making it his sole mission to pet every single dog he comes across the park today, but he listens all the same while they admire the scenery around them.

They’ve been here quite a few times in the past week since arriving in the city, but central park still has got to be one of Jihoon’s favorite places in New York. It kind of reminds him of his relationship with Daniel—in a weird, geographical sense if you look at it that way. This large alcove of lush greenery at the heart and center of a rigid concrete jungle is similar to the role Daniel has in his life. He’s the seed that planted itself in him; in a heart that’s cold and worn-out, hardened and calloused by a rough past. Fighting to grow and to thrive, battling its own hardships and enduring its own pain. And now, a year later, that seed has grown into its own jungle—flourished with so much love and care at a rate that won’t take nearly as long to overpower the side of concrete as the city equivalent.

It’s been a good year he thinks, not without its problems and hurdles of course, but they’ve gone through harsher waters to let smaller things get the best of them.

“What are you thinking about?” Daniel breaks him out of his stupor, and Jihoon catches him staring at what’s probably a blank look on his face. He only blinks at him and tightens his hold on Daniel’s hand when he smiles.

“Not what. Who,” he answers, before he stops their leisurely stroll to stand on his toes and give Daniel a kiss on the cheek.

“Aish, you’re so cheesy.” Daniel waves their intertwined hands in front of him, and Jihoon laughs when he sees the tips of his ears turning pink. Yes, it's definitely been a good year.

  


***

  


“I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied with pizza back home ever again,” Jihoon says as they exit the small restaurant to night-time New York, rubbing at his very happy belly. “You know what? We should just move here.”

“All for the pizza?” Daniel laughs, grabbing his hand and locking their fingers again when they start walking. “What about Max and Ori?”

“We’ll just have to fly back and take them with us.” Jihoon smiles cheekily at him, matching the face Daniel is making. “How much do you think planes charge for pets these days?”

“Nothing your big fat, celebrity-bank account can’t handle.” Daniel laughs at him, even when he gets a slap on the bicep for it.

“I’d have to give up chicken though,” Jihoon says in mock seriousness, ignoring him. “They don’t make chicken nearly as good here.”

“That’s true, although that's the least of your worries. I don’t think Daehwi and the guys will be so understanding when you tell them that you’re only moving this time for food.” Daniel laughs some more, the sound of which is impossible to catch when Jihoon joins him.

“Should we go back to the hotel now? I’m kinda tired from all the walking today,” Jihoon says, stretching his back a bit. “I’m ready to go into a food coma soon.”

Daniel smiles at him, but bites his lip and looks around them for a second before he answers. “I was kinda hoping to go to one more stop before we head back,” he says, looking a little sheepish. “I wanted to bring you somewhere. Can you hold in your food coma for a little bit longer?”

“Hm?” Jihoon blinks at him, his heartstrings tugging at the shy, apprehensive look Daniel has on. “Well, now I’m curious. Lead the way.”

“It’s not too far from here. Umm, hold on.” Daniel takes out his phone and peeks at the map on the screen, struggling with his free hand and not doing a very good job at being subtle about not wanting to let Jihoon see what he’s looking at. It’s cute. “Okay. It’s this way.”

They walk to where Daniel's pointed them to, in comfortable silence that gets Jihoon feeling weightless enough to even swing their hands a little with every step they take. He feels Daniel's thumb caressing the gentle spot between his thumb and forefinger, even bringing it up to his lips every now and then to give it a small kiss.

The atmosphere changes once they turn a corner that abruptly cuts away the tall buildings from their view. Jihoon can tell by now where Daniel is taking him because it’s pretty much impossible to miss the beginnings of the enormous bridge towering ahead of them, but even with that knowledge in mind he still feels the full impact when they finally reach where they're going. For the second time that day Jihoon literally feels his breath leaving his body at the view his eyes land on, not even noticing that he's stopped walking midway until Daniel tugs at his arm and asks him to come closer, clearly enjoying the shocked reaction he's sporting.

He's only ever seen it in movies and TV shows, frequent enough that it’s just become a normal looking set-piece that he’s never really given much thought to even though he's here in the very city it resides in. But standing here now, in a medium sized park with only a metal railing separating land from the vast east river of New York, the view in between both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges is anything but ordinary.

The bridges are lit, with what looks like giant fairy-lights flanking the expanse of their suspension wires. Lights which are beautifully reflected on the waters below them, joining the multitude of colors from Manhattan’s skyline on the other side. The ambience is even greater because the park from where he and Daniel are standing at is also decorated at the moment with an array of colorful lights going around and hanging out of the few trees and bushes lining the field.

"I really wanted to bring you somewhere nice," Daniel says softly, scratching the back of his nape with his free hand. "I googled places around New York and cross-checked them with the list you already have to make sure it's somewhere you and your parents haven't visited before. This is the best place I could find"

Jihoon finds himself chuckling when he faces him. "You say that as if you picked a terrible place," he says, matching the softness in his voice. "I thought you were busy at work all week before we left? When did you find the time to do all that?"

Daniel only shrugs, his signature bunny smile coming out. "You always say you have a lot of good memories with your parents here. I kinda just wanted to add to that...so you can have a good memory of us too."

Jihoon feels a soft squeeze in his hand and in an instant, he feels all the tiredness of the day wash out of him, replaced by that warm, tingling feeling he gets in his chest whenever Daniel's involved. The same one he feels on mornings he wakes up first and catches him still sleeping peacefully beside him. Whenever he succeeds in cooking them something nice for breakfast followed by the smile of approval he gets after he makes him take the first bite. The very same one he felt around a year ago when Daniel first told him he loves him.

It's not that big of a deal to be perfectly honest. Daniel has done grander gestures before and this moment is just another to add on to the list of things Jihoon will always treasure in his heart. But being here right now, in front of this magnificent view from the city he's grown to love, with the man who wants to make it special for him, reminds him of just how far he and Daniel have come since the day they first met. Of how every hurdle they tackled alone and together had been worth it.

“Hey, you’re crying.” Daniel says from beside him, and Jihoon only hums in surprise.

“Am I?”

He blinks when he suddenly feels one of Daniel’s hands brush his cheek and sure enough, it comes out with a wet glisten. It pulls down his brows in worry, as it always does when Daniel reads a little too much on a situation. But Jihoon has been with him long enough to know how to banish any doubt that tends to wrap around his mind.

"Hey, look at me," he says, letting go of Daniel’s hands so he can wrap his arms around his neck instead. He can feel Daniel relax at his touch, snaking his own arms around his waist to pull him closer. "You're the best boyfriend in the world. You know that right?"

Daniel lets out the soft breath he'd been holding, a shy smile finding its way on his face. "Sorry. I just don't like seeing you cry."

"How can I not?" Jihoon chuckles at him, tilting his head a little at the view. "Of all the places I’ve been to today, this has got to be my favorite. Thank you for bringing me here."

And as if the words aren't enough, he leans forward, stands on his toes a little and meets Daniel's lips. Soft and warm, a stark contrast to the weather that's just shy of a little snow at the moment. It's kisses like these that Jihoon loves the most; when Daniel slowly breathes into him, only slightly parting his lips to bring him in deeper, but not by a whole lot. When he feels his heart doing fifty different somersaults per second the moment Daniel moves his hands to cup his face. It's intoxicating, electrifying; putting every nerve in his body alight while his heart and knees melt at the same time.

"I love you." He hears someone say it when they pull apart, and it takes Jihoon a few seconds ro realize that it came from his own mouth.

"Say that again," Daniel whispers, a smile already tugging at his lips.

"I love you, Niel-hyung."

Daniel laughs this time, soft and close that Jihoon can feel his chest jumping. "What's that? You're gonna have to speak up."

"I love you, Kang Daniel!" Jihoon says louder, in his thick, flustering, accented english. Which only gets his boyfriend laughing harder.

"I love you more, Jihoonie." Daniel kisses him again, shorter this time, choosing to bury his face on Jihoon's hair after.

"Thank you...for making me happy."

Like a wire on high voltage, Daniel abruptly pulls himself back to face Jihoon then. His eyes wide and sparkling with the lights reflecting off of them.

"You really mean that?" He asks quietly, and Jihoon wants to smack him in the head for asking something with an obvious answer until he realizes it himself: he's never said that out loud before.

He feels it a lot, especially as of late while they're in New York. But Jihoon would be lying if he said he isn't feeling the same thing even back home. The constant fluttering in his chest, even when Daniel isn't around him. The weightlessness he feels the moment he opens his eyes in the morning and shakes Daniel awake for him to get to work, up until they're back in bed for the night getting ready to sleep. How colorful and vivid his mind has been when he's composing new music, notes streaming out of his fingers so naturally.

It's been like this for a while, sometimes even catching himself with an odd smile when he passes by a mirror, or humming a song while doing something mindless that he only takes notice of whenever Daniel points it our or sings along. He doesn't even know when the hole in his chest got fixed, or when the nothingness became full of something else.

"I'm happy," Jihoon says it out loud, more for himself than to answer Daniel's question. He says it again, testing the phrase on his tongue as if it's a different language altogether.

"I'm happy."

This time it's not a reminder, not a mantra he has to keep repeating in his head to keep him sane. And when Daniel leans forward again to kiss him on the forehead, his nose, and finally to stay on his lips, he knows he's never been more sure of anything in his life.

"It's my pleasure, Hoonie. And if you'd have me, I'd like to make sure you stay happy, for as long as forever."

"Is that a proposal?" Jihoonie snarks, chuckling at the redness on Daniel's nose that he's sure isn't because it's cold.

"No. Not yet, anyway." His bunny smile comes out, and it's almost impossible for Jihoon to keep himself from pecking them with a kiss.

For a little while, Jihoon had entertained the idea that New York would hold the key to his happiness. That moving away, starting anew would steer him towards that he so badly wanted to take. Now that he’s here, he's proven of how wrong he is; for the true key to happiness isn’t dependent on one place or one person, but allowing yourself to be open to it. And for him, it can be anywhere at this point. The small cafe in Seoul across Daniel's office that serves the best Americanos, or the quaint little pizza place in Brooklyn that makes the best pizza Jihoon's ever had. It doesn't matter.

Because for Jihoon, happiness is here, wrapped in his arms in the form of an overgrown puppy who's very good with his words and charm. Happiness for him, is wherever Daniel is. And that’s where he plans to stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, it's finally done. Thank you so much for reaching all the way here and for giving this story so much love and support. Being new to this fandom and all, I had a lot of doubts but everyone's words and comments were really inspiring and heart-filling :) I really wish to make more painful stories for these two, so let's all keep loving our overgrown puppy and jeojang bunny :D


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